An East coast Wild Ale? From Weyerbacher no less? Sign me up!
I happened to find a 2012 bottle at the shop so I went with that. I believe there was a 2013 that came out in February, which I have seen around in other places.
We went out for Indian last night, and like pretty much every other place in Ridgewood, Brick Lane is BYOB. What better place to give this one a go. By all accounts it was extremely Sour, so it should balance well against the spices and flavors.
Normally I am a Vindaloo fan, but for this dinner I decided to pair the food to Riserva, and when with a Goan Curry. Goan is a green curry also on the tart side, being made from green chilies, coconut, coriander and vinegar. (If you want something a little sweeter and with a bigger Coconut presence Moilee is a great choice.)
Pouring a with a rosy red tint, and with a small white head, I found it to have a nose of fruit mixed with a bit of Brett funk, and perhaps a touch of vinegar? Either are very minor elements though. Carbonation was fairly minimal.
The taste was fruity and tart with a light vinegar presence. This one is probably the tartest one I have tried as of yet. Not lip puckering but getting there. The sweetness of the raspberry helps with this, it is not over powering – just enough.
In the typical Weyerbacher fashion, Riserva is perfectly balanced on the knife-edge.
The mouth feel was rather dry, and the sour lingered for a bit but in a good refreshing way.
On its own it would have been just about perfect, but with the meal, it could not have been a better choice!
Maybe not a first time Wild Ale choice, I still think it is easily accessible for someone who has tried a few others has an idea of what they will be tasting. I could see it turning off someone not expecting the level of sour, but for others it will be a welcome smack to the palate.
